OUR PASTOR

Pastor Bishop Ocie Booker, Jurisdictional Bishop

A recognized leader in community development, religion, and education, Ocie Booker has championed and implemented strategies demarcating his successes.  Ocie offers a unique blend of executive acumen, team-building, and educational solutions development credited with operational, relational, and organizational improvement as the leader of First Jurisdiction-Illinois Church of God in Christ and CEO of Tabernacle Christian Academy.  Ocie has devised a responsive organization – administrative assistants, superintendents, women’s department, children’s ministry, youth ministry, and missions – that achieves consistent results improving the lives of people throughout the Chicagoland area and beyond.  Ocie has established various initiatives designed to improve service delivery to the communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin

The leadership of Ocie Booker has added new dimension to the role First Jurisdiction continues to play in the numerous communities.  With a global perspective, Ocie acknowledged the need to develop and create programs that will focus on the total man in educational and economic delivery systems.  Currently, more than 100 churches provide educational, youth, job training, economic development, financial literacy, and other services to more than 100,000 persons throughout metropolitan Chicago and surrounding areas. Implementation of these programs was realized through planning and organizational efforts of the various departments and auxiliaries.

Ocie’s professional services path includes medical technician in the United States Army, leadership roles in First Jurisdiction-Illinois as district superintendent, Sunday School Superintendent, Chairman of Public Relations, and Administrative Assistant to the late Bishop Louis Henry Ford.  He also served the International Church of God in Christ as a member of the Executive Committee of the International Sunday School Department as well as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Bishops.  Ocie has established a strong network of contacts in small and large religious, educational, political, and community organizations throughout the United States. The scope of his experience virtually extends beyond the normal call of duty.  He will continue to provide leadership in future endeavors that include the construction of new churches, entrepreneurial training, cybernetics development (e-businesses, marketing, public relations), and organizational management (legal, architectural, funding, and fiscal).

Ocie holds a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Theology from the International Seminary in Plymouth, Florida.

Today, Ocie resides with his wife, Jean, in South Holland, Illinois.  They have three sons and nine grandchildren.